There are plenty of well equipped New England ski areas including Saddleback, The Balsams and Tenney that haven't stayed open consistently. Ascutney had been dormant since 2010, but thanks to land grants and community spirit there's a new future of recreation on this historic ski mountain.

Episode 34 catches up with Laura Farrell of Ascutney Outdoors, the non-profit leading the effort, on a recent community volunteer day.

Season 3 of Wintry Mix is supported by www.Snowbird.com, www.Worldcupsupply.com and www.Liftopia.com.

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Incoming! New as part of season 3 are "Storm Tracks" where I catch up with regional meteorologists when incoming winter weather warrants. In our first attempt I grabbed Tim Kelley of NECN and Ski The East fame to discuss the first useful dump of the year.

Season 3 of Wintry Mix is supported by www.Snowbird.com, www.Worldcupsupply.com and www.Liftopia.com.

Climate, public lands, and attracting outdoorsy businesses seem to be the three key pillars of the recent surge in outdoor activism aiming to influence the state and national political landscape. Non-profits like Protect Our Winters and the Outdoor Industry Association head to Washington while individual states navigate their own local priorities influenced by their increasingly engaged outdoor industry citizenry.

Episode 33 is an evening behind the scenes at a Sue Minter For Governor fundraiser with an outdoor industry focus. Candidate seeks donors and support. Donors seek policies that can help grow their industry. It's not always so scary, and it's happening nationwide on a variety of issues. And yes I tried to get both Vermont campaigns to talk outdoor biz for episodes, but Minter's was only one to respond.